Wrench.



W. J. WRIGHT.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION msn MAR. 3\. 19|?.

1 ,267,731 Patented Malyl 28, 1918.

W {'INESSES: IN V PINTOR ,it relatively. In my UNITE] i "r-XENT OFFICE.

UAKLAND, CALIFRNIA.

WRENCH.

will n YT. WRIGHT. 0F

Agente-ation Fn-.isi March 31, 1b all wiwm t may conce/riz,

Be it known that I, VVILr/iair .73', liiuoi'rr, a citizen of the United States, residing at -Oaklf-tnd, in the county of Alameda und State of California, have invented new aufl useful In-iproveincnts in `v1'r.-chcs, ci' which thc following is s specifirafxon.

This invention relaves to wrenches, and

has to. its cojer, i nplty and improve the construction una oli-eration ot such devices.

The particular typ(` of wrench to which this invcnion relates is bert represented by my Patent #lWATG dated Septmnber 25, 1894. In the prior zuerich the handle is Connected to and slidahle with the inner jaw, theA outer jaw being fixed tc the shank and the adjustment accomplished by a pawl carried on the handle and coperating with a series of yielding, separable plates on the shank, forming teeth, to retain the pawl in any position of adjustment. The yielding, separable plates are made thin and tapered at their outer ends, and afford an ideal arrangement for securing the minutest adjustment oftbc'jaw, since the pawl will find an entrance beween'thcse plates in any position it may occupy. Tt is is not possible with fixed teeth.

owever, several difliculties are present in i the prier, wrench which renders it unsuitable for practical and commercial uses. In the first place it requires two hands to adjust the jaws. This is so because the handle is slidable on and incloses the shank, and one hand must be used to hold the handle and the other toengage the outer jaw and move resent invention I overcome this objection by fixing the handle upon the shank and sliding the inner jaw relatively with the handle, .whereby the thumb of the same hand may be used to slide the inner jaw back and forth upon the shank. Another objection in said prior wrench is that the pawl must be moved in both directions by hand and is held in locked position between the teeth by a special form of latch difficult to manipulate and uncertain in operation. In the present device I have given the awl an automatic action, it being automatically forced into locked position when moved in a direction to engage'the teeth and positively held in engagement by a spring pressed latch. A spring returns the pawl to disengaged position when the latch is released The p-awl is Speclication of Letters Patent.

Pate ted May 28, 1918.

1917. Serial No. 158,841.

therefore always certain to engage with the mth nml he locked in such position when depressed, inasmuch as the spring pressed latch serves to force the pawl into a locked position and positively retains it in engagement with thc teeth. If the pawl is not depressed sulciently fur to engage the teeth, the latch will not come into play and there` fore the pawl will be instantly returned by its spring. In the prior Wrench there was nothing to compel engagement of the pawl with the teeth and therefore in many instances the paw] was liable to stop short of engagement and allow the jaws to remain unlocked without the knowledge of the operator. In short, I have produced in a Wrench of this type a one handed adjustment Wherein an easily operable, quick and positive control for the adjusting mecha1 :am is provided.

One form which my invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a complete wrench embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal of the same.

Fig. 3 shows an edge view of the shank portion of the wrench and the yielding, separable plates in position thereon.

F ig. 4 shows a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig.'2.

Fig. 5 shows a sectional view taken on the line 5f5 of Fig. 2.

In general the Wrench comprises a shank sectional view may occupy. This pawl is movable up and down in a shoulder 18 formed on the sleeve, and has a wedge shaped extension 19 to coperate with the teeth or plates. A spring 20 presses the paw] upwardly and normally retains it in position disengaged from the teeth.

On the front side of the pawl is a rounded lug 21 with which copcrates a latch device 22 the latter pivoted at 23 upon a forward extension of the sleeve 13. The said latch is provided with a. head portion 24 having an inwardly extending projection or shoulder 25, for cooperation with the lug 21. The said shoulder is preferably square on its lower side, and rounded on its upper side, so that when the pawl is depressed the shoulder will engage the upper side of the lug and retain'it in depressed position.

A V shaped sprl g 26 presses the latch del vice inwardly an retains it yicldingly in position where the shoulder 25 will eoperate with the lug 2l. A. lange 27 on one side of the latch permits the operator byinward pressure thereon, to nieve the latch in a direction to disengage the shoulder 25 from the lug. The rounded upper portion on the lug on the shoulder will allow the lug 21 to slip by in moving downwardly, and as the lug passes the point of the shoulder, the latch will be moved inwardly by its springr 26 to position where the shoulder will overlie the lug and retain the pawl in the locked position. Moreover the rounded shape of the lug 21, will permit thc pointed shoulder 25 to assist in forcing the pawl into locked Aposition after it has passed a certain point.

A pin 28 on the shank limits the outward sliding movement of thc sleeve .[3 and jaw 12. The operation of the device is simple and convenient. The operator with the palm of his hand grasps the handle portion of the shank, and has his thumb and foreiinger free whereby to manipulate the sleeve and jaw in a back and forth direction to any desired position of adjustment. He presses downwardly on the pawl to lock the parts in adjusting position, and presses inwardly on the latch to release the pawl. If the pawl is not depressed sufficiently far to engage the teeth,

then the latch will not come into plan and the spring 20 will instantly return the pawl, so that the operator knows that the parts are not locked. This ives a certain and posiv tive operation that 1s in strong contrast with myprior wrench, wherein the pawl was not 'spring pressed outwardly, and there was no quick way of determining whether or not the lock had been set. t

The device herein shown and described may be varied and modified in many respects withodi. departing from the spirit of my invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what.

l. A wrench comprising a shank having a fixed jaw on one end and a handle on the other, a jaw slidable on the shank and having an extension lying in close proximity to the handle, a series of teeth formed on the shank, a dcpressible pawl on the extension of, the slidablc jaw to cooperate with the teeth whereby the distance between the jaws may be varied, the outer portion of the pawl projecting through the extension for engagement by the thumb to permit the saine to be depressed, a spring for lifting said pawl out of engagement with the teeth, a pivoted latch device on the extension of the yslidable jaw adjacent the handle to engage a. projection on the pawl for retaining the latter depressed and a spring for ho ding the latch in engagement with said projection, said latch having means formed upon it engageable by the thumb to retract the same for re leasing the pawl.

2. A wrench comprising a shank having a Iixcd jaw on one end and a handle on the other, a jaw slidable on the shank and having an extension lying in close proximity to the handle, a series of teeth formed on the shank, a depressible pawl on the extension of the slidable jaw to cooperate with the teeth whereby the distance between the jaws may be varied, the outer portion of the pawl projectin through the extension for engagement y the thumb to permit the same to be depressed, a sprin r for lifting said pawl out of engagement wit the teeth a pivoted latch device on the extension of t e slidable jaw adjacent the handle to engage a.- projection on the pawl for retainin the atter depressed and a spring for ho ding the latch in engagement with said projection, said latch having means formed upon it engageable by the thumb to retract the same for releasing the pawl, said pawl rejection and latch cooperating to bring a out an automatic locking of the pawl when the latter is depressed.

n testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM J. WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

C. H. BOARDMAN, CHAs. E. BENonEn. 

